The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-01-25
A Thousand Negro Homes.

There Is great difference OF opinion,
saws the Savannah Nelcs, as to whether
or not the colored people of the south
are making any moral, material and in
tellectual advancement. This difference
of opinion is due largely to the difference
in the points of observation. In some
localities the condition of the colOred
people Is no better than it was twenty
years ago, while in others their progress
is very marked. A careful and impair
tal investigation will show that gener
ally they are becoming more intelligent,
their morals are improving. and that
they are also acquiring considerable prop
erty.
They have not acquired sufficient prop
erty and influence IN any community to
ne taken into conside ration as a factor in
its material development. The indica-
tons are, however, that at some time in
the future there will be prominent tax
payers among them, and they will ex; r
else considerable influence in local af-
fairs. Even now it is not unusual to hear
it stated in many of the counties of this
State that the number of the colored tax
payers is gradually increasing. Doubt
less the same thing is heard in many of
the other Southern States.
There is no doubt that the coIored DeO-
pie have great deal to contend with in
their struggle To improve their condition.
| Without any thing in their past history To-
be proud of, and without ANYTHING very
promising, apparently, in the future to
inspire them with courage and hope, it
is rather remarkable that they are doing
a. well as they are. Having all the
draw backs hiCh are attached To igUC-
rance to contend with, il Is not surpris-
ing that their advancement il slow.
are not wanting individual instances Of
thrift among them, which would serve
as excellent examples for "a class of " hite
people found in net few localities in
the South.
A very considerable portion of the
population of Savannah is Cclored.
What progress the colored people have
made. and what they have done toward
securing homes since they began to look
out for themselves, can he easily seen
by visiting the city's suburbs. For
years they have been quiet but persis-
tent purchasers of real estate. Their set
Elements. just without the municipal
limits, almost encircle the city. 1t must
not be supposed that all of their houses
are mere shantIes. Some of them are
quite pretentious, and are surrounded
by we'll kept gardens.
These homes We're not paid for in
year or two, but represent the proceeds
of years of patient toll and the most rigid
economy. On some of them there are
still mortgages. which there is not much
doubt will be paid in time. 1t is fact
worth noticing that very few colOred
men fail to meet the payments on their
homes, and when they do there is always
good cause for the failure. And there
is another thing worth noticing. 1t is
that they pay their taxes willingly and
return their property above. rather than
below, its market value. They are not
yet sufficiently civilized to be tax dodg-
ers.
Those of them who bought lots few
years ago were quite fortunate in their
purchases. The lots are now worth all
| the way from three to ten times as much
as was paid for them. Many of the lots
which were bought for 800 could now
be sold readily for 81 900. Within two
miles of the court house in this city there
are now as many as 1000 pieces of real
estate owned by colored people. This
certainly looks as if they were making
some progress. The white people are
/ glad TO see their material Improvement.
and are always ready to lend them such
assistance as they can afford.